Our featured product for this week is one of our best sellers, the Sunesta Sunlight retractable patio awning.  This retractable canopy is a great choice for residences and businesses that have a standard size patio or deck.  The Sunlight comes is widths up to 24 feet, and can be coupled with another unit to extend up to 48 feet wide.  There are four different projections (distance out from the wall) to choose from with this retractable awning with a maximum projection of 10 feet.  There are three frame colors to choose from as you can see below; white, beige, and clay.  In addition to frame colors, there are over 190 different fabric colors and styles to choose from.  We have found that Sunesta has one of the largest selections of awning fabrics to choose from setting them apart other retractable awning manufactures.  This particular model of retractable canopy has an available Smart Pitch option where the customer can adjust the pitch of their awning to their liking depending on the angle of the sun each and every day.  This awning can be operated using a hand crank or a wireless remote control.  The warranty for the Sunlight is a full 10 years on the fabric and frame, and 5 years on the motor if you choose to have a motorized awning.  All parts are manufactured in the United States or Europe, and they are assembled in Jacksonville, FL.

 

People ask us all the time if we sell aluminum awnings.  We sell several different types of aluminum awnings and shutters so it isn't always an easy question to answer quickly.  One of the most popular type of aluminum awnings is what we refer to as a "clamshell" awning.  When you look at the photos below I think you'll be able to tell why.  Aluminum clamshell awnings are great for providing shade, and can even be pivoted down over the window before inclement weather strikes to provide some protection from the elements.  While not approved by the Florida Building Code for hurricane protection, every little bit helps.  The all aluminum construction of these awnings mean that they will not rust and will last for years to come.  They come in several colors and can even have different slats different colors for a complimentary accent stripe or two.

Rick gets all the credit for this one.  After hours of measuring this complex install, it fit just right.  Amelie's Bakery in the Hyde Park area of Tampa, FL was the recipient of our latest masterpiece.  The complex notches on the wall along with the existing railing we had to follow for the front edge of the awning made this install a challenge.  The several puzzle pieces that made up this awning were covered with black Patio 500 vinyl fabric.  The frame was left to resemble mill aluminum for an industrial look.  All the different angles provide some artistic geometry to the appearance of the top plane of the awning.  This outdoor seating area will be great for snacking on some baked goods and people watching in downtown Hyde Park.

 

The weather is starting to cool off and entertaining outdoors is becoming more enjoyable.   A canopy is a great way to protect yourself from the elements and beautify your outdoor space.  The cooper black sunbrella fabric provides an elegant look and a 10 year limited warranty.  The aluminum frame is powder coated black to both protect the frame and blend in with the fabric for a seamless look.  The aluminum frame won't corrode like steel and will last a lifetime with proper maintenance.

Check out this new Cafe right on the docks at Dunedin Marina.  Walt opened up a new location near downtown Dunedin and his outdoor patio deck was wide-open to the sun and rain.  He called on us to make his seating available in all kinds of weather conditions.  Fully equipped with roll-down shades to keep rain and wind at bey, the new outdoor seating area canopy has more than doubled the number of tables available for patrons and has increased Walt's business!  The canopy will easily pay for itself in one season.  Call us today to find out how we can help you get more use out of your outdoor spaces!

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Looking for a way to spruce up the exterior of your home?  Have existing awnings that have seen better days?  Nothing will set your home apart from the rest like recovering your existing canopy frames.  Recently, we had the opportunity to recover 16 awnings of varying shapes and sizes for a customer in St. Petersburg.  The spanish/mesa style of the home looked great with the dome awnings and choice of scallop.  The customer and their salesman really knocked this one out of the park.

Awnings can add a splash of color to dull exterior, or be made to blend in with your current home decor.  Our Sunbrella and Sattler fabrics come with a 10 year warranty, and the Tenara thread we use is warranted for the life of the fabric.  Be sure you ask about the thread and fabric other awning companies are using because odds are they are not using the best.  Whether your recovers are big or small, we would be happy to help get you the best awnings on the market.

We recently completed a Free-Standing Radius Marquee Canopy for our friends at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport.  In an effort to better serve their airline passengers, the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport added more short and long term parking and they called on West Coast Awnings to provide coverage to their parking fee collection kiosks.  The new canopy structure boasts a fully-welded aluminum subframe with a premium vinyl fabric cover.  Six powder-coated 4-inch square aluminum posts are secured in deep concrete footings that ensure this canopy will withstand even the strongest winds.  The eye-catching yellow color allows for high visibility beneath with a cool yellow glow.  Next time you're near the airport, check this one out and say hello to the parking attendant for us!

Recently, we had the pleasure of installing a canopy for Robbins Property at the Nautica Apartments in St. Petersburg, FL.  This particular awning offered some unique challenges as they wanted a seamless blend from a traditional fixed awning into a radius marquee awning and then back to a traditional awning.  To further complicate the situation, the customer asked that we not install posts anywhere but the outer edges of the awning keeping the entrance way unobstructed.  In order to accomplish this without sacrificing structural integrity, we added heavy duty support plates (pictured below) where the traditional awnings met the radius marquee in the center.

As you can see, they chose to powder coat the frame in a classy looking deep blue in order to match the dark blue Sunbrella fabric.  Custom heat applied graphics were used to display their multi-color logo as well.  The awning served its purpose of providing shade and rain protection to the complex's clubhouse.  In my opinion it really transformed the look of the pool patio area as well.  Here is a before and after picture so you can decide for yourself whether it made a difference or not.

Aluminum architectural canopies are gaining popularity due to their resistance to the elements and classic style.  While possibly not as attractive as fabric awnings, there remains the durability and longevity that this type of awning supplies.  Recently, a CVS pharmacy in Brandon gave us a call in order to replace the architectural canopy over their loading dock and employee entrance.  The awning was powder coated satin white in order to match the appearance of the previous canopy we were replacing.  This particular architectural canopy is different from the one we put up on Richard's Foodporium in Dunedin.  The water management system of this awning is a spillway across the front of the awning.  There are no gutters or scuppers on this awning.  The top pan is angled in such a way that the water flows out the front of the awning just before the front bar.  Keep in mind when ordering canopies of this style that you will want to make your projection from the wall a little further out to account for this drainage style.  Deliveries to this CVS should be protected from the rain and sun for years to come.

 

A little while back we were privileged to work with the folks at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.  They had two separate projects for us to tackle.  The first of which was quite unique.  They needed to provide rain and sun protection for a mobile MRI the hospital often employs.  This mobile MRI is housed in a full size semi-truck with a ramp and stairs transporting the children to and from the truck.  The challenge for us was to maintain clearance for the ramp all the while still providing adequate coverage from the elements.  We decided to go with a radius marquee style awning for a little bit of architectural style.  It really came out nice if I do say so myself.

Without the MRI Truck:

With the MRI Truck:

The second project was a covered walkway for the employee entrance.  Again, we went with a radius marquee style for the walkway.  This time with a tighter radius to fit the sidewalk.  The blue vinyl fabric was a good backdrop for the custom graphics of the All Children's logo.

It is always nice to know that we are helping others, especially children in need in this case, with the products we fabricate.